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COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORT
SPRING 2020
Since my last message there has been much happening at CBS. We have continued, as necessary, to ensure a COVID safe workplace for all our staff and clients. Our meal delivery service has continued with us delivering our 5000th meal to a client recently. ‘Mr D’ was absolutely delighted to be the recipient of his nutritious meal as WIN Television joined us to celebrate the milestone. The service was introduced at the initial
stages of the coronavirus pandemic when our clients indicated a need for social support, wellness checking and a meal. I also had much pleasure in launching our new awareness campaign ‘That’s why I choose Community Based Support’. You will see us in various forms of media highlighting the work of CBS in helping our clients, the heroes of our campaign, reach their dreams.
And, another piece of positive news is the re-opening of our social hubs. From 19th – 28th October, we will be able to welcome our clients to our hubs, Statewide, with some exciting changes in activities. For the exact re-opening date of each hub, refer to the article a little further on. We know this will make many people happy to socialise together again. We will, of course, need to do this with some necessary coronavirus
Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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FROM THE CEO
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A word from the CEO - continued
I’m also pleased to say, following our recent NDIS audit, we have received advice that we are being recommended for continuation of disability services. Formal advice will be forthcoming and I will be happy to share with you those outcomes.
As we focus on our social and economic recovery, adult literacy and numeracy is critical. As a member of the Coalition, I will play a key role in influencing the aged care and disability sectors to support more Tasmanians to get the skills they need for work and life through education and information, networks, referrals, promotion of programs and encouraging people to communicate clearly and use plain English.
Finally, I’m delighted to have been invited to join the Tasmanian Government’s 26TEN Coalition.
In October we will celebrate both Seniors Week and Mental Health Week. I’d like to take this
opportunity to encourage you to avail yourselves of activities, events and information happening in and around the State. We have free copies of the Seniors Week programs available in our offices should you require further details. Until next time. Allyson.
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measures in place to ensure we comply with Government regulations and keep everyone safe.
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Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider
please share your thoughts with us
CBS is always striving to offer you the very best services in Tasmania. To ensure we are getting it right, we would like to hear from you.
We would appreciate it if you would please share your thoughts about these questions with us. Here’s how: • Email us at feedback@cbsaust.org.au o This email address is monitored daily by our Business Development team, Liz, Peter and Ebony. • Write us a letter o Please address this to Attn: Liz Makin, Executive Manager Business Development Community Based Support P.O.Box 823 Moonah, Tasmania, 7009 • Call us on 1300 227 827 and ask to speak to Peter or Ebony Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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Think about the services you have received over the last six months and ask yourself these three questions: 1. What do I think CBS could have done better? 2. What did I really enjoy about the services I received from CBS? 3. Was there anything that I wanted, but didn’t get?
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Doing with, not for CBS, an established and trusted aged care provider, recognises our senior citizens and the contributions they have and continue to make, to our community. The week of 12-18 October is Senior’s Week. This week puts the spotlight on our seniors and acknowledges the vital role they play in our diverse communities. Some of you may remember when home care supports were first implemented and the inference was on assisting people to stay at home, by providing supports to get jobs done such as cleaning & home maintenance.
An example of “doing with� could be a simple task such as folding tea towels while the support worker is at your home vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom. This can have a positive impact on your life. Another example is folding sheets together and having some fun while the work is being done, together. Walking to the letter box to get the mail with the support worker and engaging in likeminded conversation is one more example of a wellness activity. Supports should be tailored to suit your needs and based on your individual strengths and abilities. What is CBS doing to support you in improving your Wellness? We are implementing a new training
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Over time this view has evolved into where we are today, that is, to support you to live at home for as long as possible whilst maintaining your independence. Whilst we all love the idea of someone doing it for us, in reality, we receive greater satisfaction by doing it for ourselves.
With this in mind the Australian Government has recognised the benefits to older Australians of being more active within their own homes. The benefits so far have included a positive impact on physical health, mental health and wellbeing.
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Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider
Doing with, not for
platform for all CBS employees. Not just our support workers, case managers and coordinators but our office administrative employees as well. This is to ensure we are all on the same page and that page is all about you. All government funded services for older people is now delivered under a Wellness and Reablement
model. How are we going to do this you might ask? By talking to you about what is important to you? What makes you feel better about yourself? What puts a smile on your face when you say “I did that myself�? These are called Quality of life Goals, so our question to you is... What makes you happy, what is your goal and how does it relate to your current support(s)?
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Please write your response to the above questions here and when your coordinator calls you next, please discuss these goals with them.
Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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Social Hubs Reopening
HOT NEWS! We have missed you, our clients, so much but at last we have some really great news. It is with great excitement that we announce the reopening of our social hubs and groups. You will soon be able to reconnect with friends, engage with the community and participate in activities.
5000th meal delivery
5000th meal delivery
We have reviewed our hub services and are reopening with activities that are more tailored to your goals and needs. We are delighted to introduce you to the “new look” activity program. We have explored many options to have an activity for everyone. The program will be completed for the following three months. This gives you a chance to budget money for outings and plan your days. Each day you will have a choice of 2-3 activities.
Vegetable donation
You will no longer need cash on the day for lunches or activities. These will be invoiced to you by our finance team monthly.
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Please continue to suggest activities, and we will do our best to accommodate any request. We will also be meeting with you regularly to set your goals and to check-in to see how they are being achieved.
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Vegetable donation
The “new look” activity program will be distributed by mail from the 5th of October 2020. You will be required to book into activities in advance to ensure that we have adequate staffing and remain COVID safe. After you have received the Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider
Social Hubs Reopening program of activities, you can book in with Leah. The social hubs are located at the following locations; - 60 Risdon Road, New Town - 16 Charles Eaton Court, Huntingfield - 1 Fredrick Street, Cygnet (Friday only) - 42 Canning Street, Launceston - Bridport Hall, 67 Main Street
Device delivery Meal delivery
Due to COVID restrictions, we need you to call Leah on 6208 6601 to express your interest in returning to the hubs and groups. During our closure, we pivoted our service to provide meals and social support to our clients in their homes. We have recently just reached the milestone of 5000 meals delivered to our clients. Our staff are very proud of this achievement – remaining connected with clients during this time has been very rewarding.
We look forward to having you all back and for the hubs to return to life again. It’s been all too quiet over the past few months. Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
Meal delivery
Food prep
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For those that have enjoyed the meal service, we are pleased to let you know that the meal service will continue after the hubs reopen. If you have been considering trying the meals, let us know. Our staff would love to call in with a meal and have a chat. Reopening Dates: Please note: These dates are all subject to Government advice 19th October 2020 • New Town Hub • Kingston Hub • Exercise group classes 23rd October 2020 • Cygnet Hub 26th October 2020 • Launceston Hub 28th October 2020 • Bridport Hub
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Harold Wells - Artist at eighty
In recent months, as the world slowed down, eighty year old Harold Wells thought “Instead of being bored I’d put pen to paper. I started by putting down where I was born and the dates and the story, my story, went from there. I wanted to know where I was and at what age; I spent a lot of time thinking and doing research.” Harold has not yet finished his life story but he has written about his childhood, adolescence and how as a young man he trained first as a carpenter and was later promoted to be the supervisor of housing developments. “I enjoyed every bit of my working life but when I got to 65 I thought I should give the young blokes a go.” Harold has written about his marriage that came to an amicable end, his three beautiful daughters, that he absolutely adores, his five grandchildren and his cherished companion of over twenty years Pam.
In May 2019 Harold received a call from CBS and he has been on a low-level Home Care Package ever since. He receives general cleaning once a week, gardening once a fortnight and a spring clean every year including the windows. It’s vital for Harold’s health that he have a clean, dust free home and the extra support has made a world of difference. “The help around the house is very good”, Harold says. “It would take me longer to clean the shower each morning than to have a shower!” he jokes. “I’ve been very pleased with CBS and have had no trouble whatsoever. If I ask for help getting to the doctor, they send someone right away. Nothing is ever any trouble.”
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Harold and Pam came to a decision early on in their relationship to live independently. “It’s been a good relationship”, Harold says. “Pam’s kept me going. We support each other. We made it up early the way we wanted it to be and things have worked out very well.”
Harold has many health issues including diabetes, stage 4 kidney disease, asbestosis and a pace maker. Despite these health issues, Harold believes he’s in good shape for his age, he has good mental health and he remains mobile and active. Harold is proud of his home and garden and wants to remain living independently for as long as possible. “After being a tradesman for so long my knees are shocking. I had to get an emergency call button after getting caught out not being able to get up.”
Harold has recently taken up drawing and painting as well. He loves drawing his friends and family.
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Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider
Harold Wells - Artist at eighty
rewarding part of my job is clients reaching their personal goals or having positive outcomes. It’s very rewarding to be part of that process. In my opinion the most positive change in the sector over the last decade is seeing services move from being the provider advising to being consumer driven care.”
Harold is highly complimentary of Sarah saying “Sarah has been wonderful. She’s very, very pleasant and you feel at home talking to her. I can really open up to Sarah and say anything. She doesn’t miss much and is right onto it. She’s reliable and I appreciate that very much.” Sarah has been associated with CBS for over ten years. She says, “I really do find the most
For now Harold continues with his story. He’s quite proud of what he has achieved and says: “The story is for me and it’s for my kids and grandkids too. I’ve only shown one daughter and she thought it was very good. My hope is to get it published in some capacity.” Helping Harold get his story published is Sarah’s hope too.
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Harold’s Care Manager, Sarah Crosswell of Community Based Support, is delighted that he has “surpassed his care goals and returned to activities that he once loved doing. His care goals today have changed and he can now use the package to reach new milestones.”
Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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From the Marketing Team This week we were very proud and excited to launch our newest advertising campaign “That’s why I choose Community Based Support”. The campaign is an evolution of the previous campaign “I choose Community Based Support because…” and aims to convey the story of Community Based Support and how we work to empower clients to be the hero of their own life achieving their goals and living the life they choose… whatever that may be. There are many thousands of older people and people living with disability across Tasmania. Sadly, not all of them know what support options could
be available to them, or where to go to get it. The “That’s why I choose Community Based Support” advertising campaign is designed to reach these people as well as further assisting our own clients to see what is possible with the right support. We designed and completed the first set of advertisements during coronavirus using Tasmanian professional actors, CBS clients and staff to create, film and act in them. The campaign is being aired on television and radio as well as on bus backs and billboards. Please visit our website to view / listen to the full campaign.
BILLBOARDS
“I claimed my independence!”
Disability Support Services
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“I can live the life I choose.”
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Aged Care Services Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider
BUS BACKS
TV ADVERTISEMENTS Aged Care TV Ad
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Disability TV Ad
Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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NATURAL LIVING WITH JODI Are you noticing the warm spring days, full of sunshine and song birds, I love this time of the year? Feeling the mischievous weather of spring, sunshine, sun showers and rainbows and the teasing of the longer days to come. My family and I are midway along our spring clean journey, we’ve included all family members small and tall. We open up the windows, let the flow of the breeze in and put some lovely chilled tunes on to fill the air and to get us motivated. Don’t get me wrong, this is a chore but the reward is great and the feeling of a deep cleanse within the home is very timely following a closed home over winter. Spring is not only a cleansing and opening window time, it’s also the time to plant so many things into the soil to reap the rewards either immediately with seedlings or in a month or two from seed.
A garden can be any shape or size!
Lemon Balm: Uplifting effects: This heavenly smelling herb can change your mood with just one sniff! Lemon balm tea can be used to soothe an upset stomach, help dispel fevers, calm upset or anxious children (and adults), and boost your mood. Growing: Lemon balm prefers rich moist soil and partial shade. It can tolerate direct sunlight but the leaves may yellow slightly during hot summers in full sun. Plants grown in shade tend to be larger and more succulent. Lemon balm is a good companion to fruit trees, plants from the onion family, tomatoes and roses. White Sage: This sacred plant has been valued by Native American tribes for thousands of years for its ability to clear negative and stagnant energy, and purify the spirit and physical spaces. Commonly used as a ‘smudge’, the smoke carries its purifying scent as well as its antimicrobial properties through the air. Recent research (link: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/ medicinal-smoke-can-completely-eliminate-diverseplant-and-human-pathogenic-bacteria-air) supports this ancient cultural use. Growing: Sandy soils that are extremely well-draining are preferred by white sage. The natural soil makeup of a foothill in the southern California region – dusty, sandy soil with lots of decomposing granite. This plant doesn’t need fertiliser and enjoys an extremely welldraining site.
Herbs to plant in the garden this spring and summer to uplift the spirit.
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Now is a great time to plant most herbs, get them in early into a sunny position and well-drained soil and as soon as the soil starts warming up the plants will surge ahead. Here are a few examples:
Parsley: Uplifting effects: Such a beautiful self-seeding herb, it can be used so widely in a variety of dishes. This is a natural breath freshener and, in my opinion, tastes great! My 5 year old picks small bunches from our garden to munch on while working in the veggie patch.
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Natural living with jodi
Rosemary: Uplifting effects: Historically used to increase memory and is often grown ornamentally just for the charming fragrance it spills into the garden. Growing: A culinary herb, especially in Italian cuisine. Rosemary is a hardy plant with little attention needed once established. Soil should be well drained and slightly acidic. It’s tolerant of dry periods, coastal conditions, poor soil, hot and windy aspects and even has moderate frost tolerance. Common herbs like chives, oregano, mint, parsley, sage, savory and thyme can all go in now too. These herbs known as ‘Mediterranean’ herbs all like well-drained soil with lots of sun and only a little bit of fertiliser/compost. Plant oregano, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme into a spot that is not too wet after watering. If you don’t have a spot like that, then grow
them in a pot. Any good potting mix will do. Leave the mulch until the weather warms up in summer. Depending on the size of the plant, you can start picking little bits straight away. Remember if you only have a small space or rent your home then using large pots and or any kind of recycled containers you can find works a treat. A few places you could find a recycled container/ pot to grown your next food crop in: • Recovery Shop – Glenorchy • Second Chance re-use shop – Mornington • Resource Work Cooperative – South Hobart • Southbridge Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Center – Huonville • Kingborough Waste Services – Margate Second hand shops are a great way to source growing vessels.
Information sourced from: https://www.herbcottage.com.au All information provided is for informational purposes only. Please seek professional advice before commencing any treatment.
Stay safe, remember to eat well, and wash your hands. Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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Growing: Tolerant of a little more damp and a little less sun, it can be planted in a wide range of positions. Parsley produces leaves in the first year, and then goes to seed and usually dies in the second year. But this results in self-sown seedlings coming up around the garden. Just pull out those in the wrong positions and leave the rest to grow.
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Fresh spring recipe
Nan Helen’s Lemon butter slice
The weather is getting warmer and now is the time to start planning beach outings and long picnics. To make your spring events burst with fresh flavour, lovely Helen, (Nan to CBS’s Executive Assistant, Ash) agreed to share her winning traditional recipe. It’s so delicious and easy to make!
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Cook Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes
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INGREDIENTS • 185g butter • 315g castor sugar • 2 eggs, beaten • 185g self raising flour • Juice of 1 lemon
METHOD Melt butter and stir in 185g castor sugar. Add the eggs and sifted self raising flour. Spread the mixture smoothly in a greased 30cm x 20cm slab tin. Bake in a moderate oven (160 degrees, fan forced) for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool a little. And then, while still warm, spread with the combined lemon juice and remaining 130g castor sugar. This makes a crisp topping when cold. Cut into squares.
Enjoy!
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Connect Spring 2020 Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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royce hart- legendary AFL football legend Royce Hart wants to share a message with everyone his age - be prepared for ageing. “People my age have to plan for something to happen,” Royce says. “You don’t get any better when you get older and if you don’t plan, like me, you can find it a real trauma when you need help. I was lucky CBS provided someone to help me.” Royce downsized from a 40 acre farm just outside Hobart when his “body could no longer do the things required of it on the farm.” Two and half years ago Royce was putting out the rubbish when he tripped and shattered his right elbow. It was while in hospital that CBS first contacted him. Royce started receiving some personal care and basic house cleaning once a fortnight. “I didn’t need any intensive help originally but after six months I qualified through My Aged Care for a level 2 Home Care Package. But I had to wait for 18 months before I could get more help. The waiting was very difficult.” Today Royce receives cleaning once a week, a gardener once every two months and social support once a month. “If my condition goes downhill I have confidence CBS will help me and I won’t have to go on a waiting list. It’s important to be aware there’s a government waiting list,” Royce says.
Royce has been married twice, has three sons, a daughter and five grandkids. He is considered one of the greatest centre half forwards ever to play AFL having won four premierships for Richmond. He’s also been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. “I kept everything from my career and the perishables went to the National Gallery in Canberra. To my knowledge, I’m the only AFL footballer to have something in that museum,” Royce says proudly. After football Royce was involved in coaching and working with kids. “Sport teaches kids week in and week out, how to win and lose. It helps build
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“I’ve had heaps of trouble with my knees and I’ve had operations. I’m 72 and regard it all as a part of getting old. I have sciatica too, which is bloody awful! I used to run ten kilometres a day after I finished footy but as my condition worsened I started walking ten kilometres a day. I can’t do that now, but I do
things around the house and garden that give me movement.”
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royce hart- legendary
resilience.” He continues to take an interest in football and today “does a bit in the memorabilia business. I can’t do the amount of work I’d like but I’m able to live a lifestyle that satisfies me.” Royce fiercely values his independence and is grateful that he’s received help to navigate what options are available to him now and into the future.
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“CBS plays an important role getting me through the system, now more so than ever. I want people to know you can’t rely on family to look after you. I want to live independently for as long as I can and I can stay home if I get some help. A good package and a good provider enables me to stay home.”
In recent years there has been a significant change in the approach of care providers. “Aged care providers now treat the client as the number one priority and that’s a really good thing. I get a statement letting me know how much I’ve spent. As the person receiving the service I know exactly what’s going on. CBS is helping facilitate that and the case manager is the most important person in the system. I have a good case manager in Sarah Crosswell. I feel as though if anything goes wrong I can rely on her to lend an ear. CBS is a local provider and that fills me with confidence.”
Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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Good news for National Disability Insurance Scheme participants
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The Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), announced a new package of improvements to the NDIS.
The average number of days it takes to receive a first plan is 67 days. That is 50 per cent lower than it was 12 months ago.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (the Agency) released a new Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan, which set out what the Agency will deliver over the next two years to better meet participants’ expectations on the Participant Service Guarantee. These changes will aim to set new service standards and clear timeframes for decision making by the Agency, meaning it will be faster and easier for participants and their families to navigate and get services through the NDIS.
New independent assessments, fully paid for by the NDIS, will be rolled out too. Independent assessments focus on the person – gathering accurate information about the individual’s support needs and the impact of their disability on their daily life. This will start early in the new year, beginning with assessments for new people seeking to access the NDIS, before being used more widely.
These changes will be in place early next year, and should help deliver on the promise of the NDIS – to provide people with a disability true choice and control over a flexible support package to achieve their goals. They will help deliver improvements requested by many participants, families and carers, and providers. Waiting times are already much lower. In June 2020, access decisions took an average of 10 days – this is 4 times faster than it was 12 months ago.
Participants will get more information, including plan summary statements and draft plans, before they are finalised. Finalised plans will be for a longer period of time and will also be ongoing. These plans will be reviewed on request. The role of support coordinators will be better explained and payment processes will be made much easier for participants. The latest NDIS Quarterly Report for June 2020 and information about the Agency’s new Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan can be found at www.ndis.gov.au.
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WHAT: Connect Spring 2020
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Community Based Support P: 1300 227 827 E: admin@cbsaust.org.au W: cbsaust.org.au
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Community Based Support Your local Tasmanian not-for-profit service provider